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Sheffield firm serves up treat for tennis fans
FOR the first time in its 132-year history, rain won't stop play at Wimbledon Centre Court next week – thanks to a new retractable roof designed by Sheffield-based company SCX.
SCX claims that the 5,200 square metre roof is a triumph of engineering, as the 1,000-tonne structure is capable of closing and opening in just eight minutes, as well as operating in winds of up to 43mph.
The roof is one of the first types of concertina moving structures ever to be built in the UK.
SCX was responsible for both the design and supply of all the mechanical and electrical equipment on what is one of the UK's most complex moving roof structures.
The company was awarded the project on the basis of its previous experience. SCX has been involved in a number of other high-profile UK projects, including the London landmark, the Gherkin, which was designed by Sir Norman Foster.
British tennis number one Andy Murray said of the new roof: "It's going to make a big difference, for fans and TV. It's the best and it will also make a big difference to scheduling."
Simon Eastwood, managing director at SCX, said that one of the key issues was how to ensure the fabric of the cloth remained in tension when the roof closed.
The company solved the problem with a design that uses a mechanical system to stretch the cloth – a unique solution never used before.
The new retractable roof will allow Centre Court to keep its open-air appeal as the translucent canvas cloth lets in high levels of natural light when it is closed.
Mr Eastwood said: "The retractable roof demonstrates what can be achieved even on the most challenging projects. We were delighted to help Wimbledon retain its position as the world's best venue for tennis – especially as it was a Sheffield-based company that made it reality."
Once the heavens open and the roof is closed, the Centre Court's ventilation system takes 30 minutes to extract moisture from the air to create the right match conditions.
During short rain showers, organisers still plan on using the traditional covers on the court to create shorter breaks. But once the roof is closed, it will not open again until the match is over.
The roof was in good working order during a dry run of exhibition matches on May 17, with former tennis stars Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters.
Mr Agassi, the 1992 Wimbledon champion, said the new Wimbledon set-up will be "an environment that lends itself to some spectacular tennis".
"All the players are excited to see how it's going to really work," said former champion Roger Federer, who lost out to Rafael Nadal in last year's Wimbledon final after a string of five consecutive wins.
SCX is not the only Yorkshire company to have worked on the retractable roof. Thirsk-based Severfield-Rowen provided the structural steel for the folding fabric concertina.
In addition to the retractable roof, other changes at Centre Court include an increase in capacity from 13,800 spectators to 15,000 by the addition of six rows of seating to the upper tier on three sides.
A spokesman for the Wimbledon Championships said that the roof completes the core project to transform the 87-year-old Centre Court into a "market-leading stadium commensurate with its heritage as the jewel in Wimbledon's crown."
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
